Flaunt It!

Left to right: Meg Zucker, Ethan’s mother; RBC “Flaunt It” Award winners Anushka Nair and Lindsay Pierce; and Ethan

Many teenagers face judgment from their peers. But not all of them have the courage to share their personal stories in public.

This year, Anushka Nair of Hinsdale, Illinois, and Lindsay Pierce of Washington, D.C., won the RBC “Flaunt It” Award. Meg Zucker, who is my mother, created the award in 2016 with funding from RBC Foundation—USA.

The award, which includes a scholarship, provides a platform for young artists and writers to celebrate their own differences. It is part of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a national program that has recognized the outstanding work of creative teens since 1923.

OVERCOMING STEREOTYPES

Anushka and Lindsay, both 16, were honored at the Art & Writing Awards ceremony on June 8 at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Anushka won for her painting, “Shifting Perspective” (pictured below), which explores her inner struggles with body image.

Lindsay was honored for her essay, “Hands Off My Identity: Dealing With Difference in a Diversifying Community.” Lindsay’s essay probes the microaggressions that she experienced as a black student at a predominantly white school. Microagressions are comments or actions, intentional or not, that are hurtful to a marginalized group.

Although Lindsay’s classmates did not always realize it, their comments about her physical traits shook her self-confidence. Rather than isolate herself, Lindsay chose to respond through engagement. “Uncomfortable interaction with people who are different from you is the only way to become more mindful,” she said.

Lindsay offered reassuring advise to her younger self. “It’s going to get better,” she said, “because there are role models waiting and a world of confidence to come.”

“Shifting Perspective,” an award-winning painting by Anushka Nair

ACCEPTING ONESELF 

In her work, Anushka depicts the challenges of accepting oneself. “Body image struggles are especially difficult to raise adequate awareness and empathy for,” she said. “It's an incredibly nuanced and complex situation when a young woman is trying to love her body and be proud of it.”

What did Anushka enjoy the most about creating her painting? “I have a very, very strong connection with the model I picked,” Anushka said. “I’m very connected with the issues that she often has to deal with.”

Anushka also suggests in her work that knowledge is power. “Media, literature, and pop culture can do much to empower young women to be proud of their appearance,” she said. “Many female figures are doing what they can to spread body positivity. Representation for adolescent girls is key.”

Anushka and Lindsay hope that their daring work will inspire other young people who face challenges to express themselves. “Being open to my surroundings instead of retreating inward,” Anushka said, “helped me accept myself.”